For personal use only - ASX · Address Level 5, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal Address PO...
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address Level 5, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal Address PO Box Q128 Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230 Telephone 02 9078 7674 Fax 02 9078 7661 Email [email protected] Website www.hastingstechmetals.com ABN 43 122 911 399 MARCH 2017 QUARTERLY REPORT 28 April 2017 Continuous beneficiation pilot plant testing has successfully validated the simple and effective flowsheet of the Yangibana flotation process The pilot operation confirmed 70% TREO recovery at a final concentrate grade of 23% TREO Optimised flotation circuit chemistry improved recovery to >80% at a higher TREO grade Generated concentrate for next stage hydrometallurgy pilot plant operation Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) lodged with Western Australia (WA) Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Referral Submission lodged with Commonwealth Department of Environment and Energy Preliminary Mine Development Proposal (MDP) lodged with WA Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) Commencement of iterative reviews of the applications with EPA and DMP to map out approval timelines Drilling beyond the limits of current resources at Bald Hill returns the highest accumulation* of neodymium and praseodymium oxides to date throughout the Yangibana Project Phase 5 drilling programme delayed by rain DEFINITIVE FEASIBILITY STUDY UPDATE Metallurgy Progress Metallurgical test trials have progressed well. Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (“Hastings” or “the Company”) completed the continuous beneficiation pilot plant testing, which validated the simple and effective flowsheet of the Yangibana flotation process. The Company has successfully generated bulk samples for downstream engineering equipment design testwork and concentrate for the hydrometallurgy pilot plant. The flowsheet developed in the laboratory testwork programme was translated into a 150kg/hr pilot processing circuit, operating 24 hours per day continuously over 8 days (5 days plus 3 days after a weekend shutdown) at ALS Metallurgy in Perth. The flowsheet consisted of milling, rougher flotation, regrind and cleaner flotation stages. The Beneficiation pilot operation achieved a 70% recovery at a final concentrate grade of 23% TREO. This was in line with what was achieved in the laboratory. Further improvements in the laboratory were made in parallel to the pilot plant, to achieve more than 81% recovery with 27% grade TREO through For personal use only
Transcript of For personal use only - ASX · Address Level 5, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal Address PO...
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Address Level 5, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal Address PO Box Q128
Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230
Telephone 02 9078 7674 Fax 02 9078 7661 Email [email protected] Website
www.hastingstechmetals.com ABN 43 122 911 399
MARCH 2017 QUARTERLY REPORT 28 April 2017
Continuous beneficiation pilot plant testing has successfully validated the simple
and effective flowsheet of the Yangibana flotation process
The pilot operation confirmed 70% TREO recovery at a final concentrate grade of
23% TREO
Optimised flotation circuit chemistry improved recovery to >80% at a higher TREO
grade
Generated concentrate for next stage hydrometallurgy pilot plant operation
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) lodged with Western Australia (WA)
Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
Referral Submission lodged with Commonwealth Department of Environment and
Energy
Preliminary Mine Development Proposal (MDP) lodged with WA Department of
Mines and Petroleum (DMP)
Commencement of iterative reviews of the applications with EPA and DMP to map
out approval timelines
Drilling beyond the limits of current resources at Bald Hill returns the highest
accumulation* of neodymium and praseodymium oxides to date throughout the
Yangibana Project
Phase 5 drilling programme delayed by rain
DEFINITIVE FEASIBILITY STUDY UPDATE
Metallurgy Progress
Metallurgical test trials have progressed well. Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (“Hastings” or “the Company”) completed the continuous beneficiation pilot plant testing, which validated the simple and effective flowsheet of the Yangibana flotation process. The Company has successfully generated bulk samples for downstream engineering equipment design testwork and concentrate for the hydrometallurgy pilot plant.
The flowsheet developed in the laboratory testwork programme was translated into a 150kg/hr pilot processing circuit, operating 24 hours per day continuously over 8 days (5 days plus 3 days after a weekend shutdown) at ALS Metallurgy in Perth. The flowsheet consisted of milling, rougher flotation, regrind and cleaner flotation stages. The Beneficiation pilot operation achieved a 70% recovery at a final concentrate grade of 23% TREO. This was in line with what was achieved in the laboratory. Further improvements in the laboratory were made in parallel to the pilot plant, to achieve more than 81% recovery with 27% grade TREO through
For
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address Level 5, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal Address PO Box Q128
Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230
Telephone 02 9078 7674 Fax 02 9078 7661 Email [email protected] Website
www.hastingstechmetals.com ABN 43 122 911 399
optimising the flotation circuit chemistry. The pilot plant shows a clear indication of progress from bench scale to commercial production.
The hydrometallurgy pilot plant programme began at end of March and is being undertaken at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). It will complete early May 2017.
Figure 1 Flotation Pilot Plant Operation at ALS Metallurgy, Perth
Figure 2: Close-up of Monazite Flotation Figure 3: Final flotation concentrate
Approvals and Permits
Hastings has lodged the EIA for its Yangibana Nd-Pr Rare Earths project with the EPA and a
Referral Submission was also lodged with the Commonwealth Department of Environment
and Energy. Under the Commonwealth and State Approval system, the EPA is the reviewing
agency acting on behalf of WA and the Commonwealth. For
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address Level 5, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal Address PO Box Q128
Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230
Telephone 02 9078 7674 Fax 02 9078 7661 Email [email protected] Website
www.hastingstechmetals.com ABN 43 122 911 399
A preliminary MDP has been lodged with the DMP. Further studies emanating from the
Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) are required to be lodged at a later time to complete the
MDP for final assessment. The DFS is scheduled for completion during Q3 2017. The
lodgement of the preliminary MDP is to enable the MDP to be fast tracked, pending further
outstanding reports that will flow from the DFS.
An iterative review process has commenced with the EPA and DMP that will identify any areas
of additional information, if required, for the relevant permitting approvals to be granted.
The review process will also clarify the timeline for the approval processes.
Resource Extension Drilling
During the quarter assay results were received from three holes drilled outside the western
limits of the current resources at Bald Hill. Significant results were:-
Hole BHW
From (m)
To (m)
Interval (m)
%(Nd2O3+Pr2O3) %TREO %(Nd2O3+Pr2O3)/TREO
01 59 62 3 0.76 2.09 36
02 86 89 3 0.57 1.63 35
04 79 102* 23 0.77 1.87 41
incl 80 90 10 1.12 2.72 41 *hole terminated in mineralisation
The intersection in hole BHW04 remains open at depth and provides the highest
accumulation*, at 17.7m%(Nd2O3+Pr2O3) (43m%TREO), returned from all drilling at the
Yangibana Project since commencement of exploration. The rare earths are associated with
monazite, with minor bastnaesite. With its high (Nd2O3+Pr2O3) : TREO ratio of 41%, this
mineralisation is expected to have similar processing characteristics to the Eastern Belt-style
mineralisation. This intersection lies to the west of what was considered to be the western
limit to the Bald Hill South mineralisation as shown in Figure 4. It establishes a new major
target with potential to host the higher value Eastern Belt-style mineralisation to depth and
along strike to the northwest and southeast.
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address Level 5, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal Address PO Box Q128
Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230
Telephone 02 9078 7674 Fax 02 9078 7661 Email [email protected] Website
www.hastingstechmetals.com ABN 43 122 911 399
Figure 4 – Yangibana Project – Bald Hill Cross Section showing BHW04 intersection beyond limit of
current JORC Resources
The next phase of drilling has been delayed by heavy rainfall and will commence in late April.
BROCKMAN PROJECT
During the quarter the Company made application for a Mining Lease covering the area
currently held under ten Prospecting Licences at the Brockman Project in northern Western
Australia.
CORPORATE
In March 2017, the Company presented the Yangibana Nd-Pr at the 121 Mining Investment
Conference in Hong Kong. For a copy of the presentation please visit
www.hastingstechmetals.com
TERMINOLOGY USED IN THIS REPORT
Total Rare Earths Oxides, TREO, is the sum of the oxides of the light rare earth elements lanthanum
(La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), and samarium (Sm) and the heavy rare earth
elements europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er),
thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), lutetium (Lu), and yttrium (Y).
*Accumulation is the product of intersected length by grade, such that the intersection in BHW04 of
23m at 1.87%TREO provides an accumulation of 23 times 1.87 equals 43m%TREO. An intersection of
2m at 1.5%TREO, which would still have potential economic significance, would have an accumulation
of 3m%TREO. For
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Address Level 5, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal Address PO Box Q128
Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230
Telephone 02 9078 7674 Fax 02 9078 7661 Email [email protected] Website
www.hastingstechmetals.com ABN 43 122 911 399
For further information please contact:
Charles Tan, Chief Operations Officer, +61 457 853 839
Andy Border, General Manager Exploration, +61 2 8268 8689
About Hastings Technology Metals
Hastings Technology Metals is a leading Australian rare earths company, with two rare earths projects hosting JORC-compliant resources in Western Australia.
The Yangibana Project hosts JORC Indicated and Inferred Resources totalling 13.41 million tonnes at 1.18% TREO (comprising Measured Resources of 2.16 million tonnes at 1.01% TREO, Indicated Resources of 5.45 million tonnes at 1.30% TREO and Inferred Resources of 5.81 million tonnes at 1.12% TREO), including 0.39% Nd2O3+Pr2O3.
The Brockman deposit contains JORC Indicated and Inferred Resources totalling 41.4 million tonnes (comprising 32.3 million tonnes Indicated Resources and 9.1 million tonnes Inferred Resources) at 0.21% TREO, including 0.18% HREO, plus 0.36% Nb₂O₅ and 0.90% ZrO₂.
Rare earths are critical to a wide variety of current and new technologies, including smart phones, hybrid cars, wind turbines and energy efficient light bulbs.
The Company aims to capitalise on the strong demand for critical rare earths created by expanding new technologies.
Competent Persons’ Statement
The information in this announcement that relates to Resources is based on information compiled
by Lynn Widenbar. Mr. Widenbar is a consultant to the Company and a member of the
Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The information in this announcement that
relates to Exploration Results is based on information compiled by Andy Border, an employee of
the Company and a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Each has sufficient experience relevant to the styles of mineralisation and types of deposits which
are covered in this announcement and to the activity which they are undertaking to qualify as a
Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of
Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’ (“JORC Code”). Each consents to the
inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in
which it appears.
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address Level 5, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal Address PO Box Q128
Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230
Telephone 02 9078 7674 Fax 02 9078 7661 Email [email protected] Website
www.hastingstechmetals.com ABN 43 122 911 399
TENEMENT SCHEDULE
as at 31 March 2017 (All tenements are in Western Australia)
YANGIBANA PROJECT
Hastings Technology Metals Ltd
Es09/2084, 2086, 2095, 2129 - 100%
P09/482 - 100%
M09/157 - 100%
Gascoyne Metals Pty Limited (100% subsidiary)
Es09/1989, 2007, 2137, - 100%
Es09/1043, 1703, 1704, 1705, 1706 - 70%
Ms09/159, 161, 163 - 70%
Ms09/160, 164, 165 - 100% G09/10 - 100% G09/11, 13, 14 - 70% L09/66-72, 74, 75, 80-83 - 100% Yangibana Pty Limited (100% subsidiary)
Es09/1700, 1943, 1944, 2018 - 100%
Ms09/158, 162 -100%
Gs09/16-18 – 100%
BROCKMAN PROJECT
Brockman Project Holdings Pty Limited (100% subsidiary)
P80/1626 to 1635 - 100%
E80/4555 - 100%
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